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(No Model.)

S. G. SGOTT& W. O'HERN.

RAILWAY BRIDGE GUARD. No, 402.487.

Patented Apr. 30, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

STEPHEN G. SCOTT, OF PLAINWELL, MICHIGAN, AND WILLIAM OHERN, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-HALF TO I JOHN H. P. HUGHART, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, AND PATRICK S. OROURKE,

OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

RAILWAY-BRIDGE GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,487, dated April 30, 1889. Application filed January 23, 1889- Serlal No. 297,275- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, STEPHEN G. Soom and WILLIAM OHERN, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at the village,

of Plainwell, in the county of Allegan and State of Michigan, and at the city of Fort WVayne, Indiana, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Bridge Guards, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a car-bridge guard composed of ropes or cords or pendants suspended over the railroad-track from a wire stretched across the track; and the invention I 5 consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully set forth. The object of our invention is to construct a bridge-guard of ropes, cords, or pendants whichwill always remain in place and will not become entangled or permanently swung out, of place or position. This object we accomplish by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of our bridgeguard, and Fig. 2 a view of one of the connecting-links detached.

Similar letters refer-to similarparts throughout both views.

A wire, A, is stretched across the railroadtrack from side to side and supported in any suitable manner. Upon the wire A we'place links L L L, as shown in Fig. 1., Each link is provided with an opening, F, at the top 3 5 of sufficient size to loosely encircle the wire,

and is also provided with an opening at the bottom for the reception of the rope or cord. The cord should move freely in the opening. The entire link L we prefer to make of a single piece of wire sobent as to form the two openings or loops F and K, having the ends of the wire meet at S, as shown in Fig. 2.

In order to keep the links apart and at regular intervals on the wire A, we provide enlarged portions, (shown byE E E:) These enlargements may be produced by a coil of wire wound around the wire A, soldered rigidly thereto, or by any other suitable means. It represents the rope or cord, which is of suitable length to come in contact with any person standing upon the top of a railroad freight-can The ropes or cords hang loosely from the links and the links are adapted to turn upon the supporting-wire, and whenever the ropes are forced out of place by contact with a person or by any other means they drop back quickly into place. If the rope is carried by any force over the wire, the link turns and the rope drops down into place again. The guardsare Very liable to be forced out of position, when they fail to give the proper warning, by the wind, and especially by'the puffing of the locomotive, and as here tofore constructed they will loop over the support and remain permanently oit of position, so that they become wholly useless.

We are aware that bridge-guards consisting of a series of ropes or cords suspended across the railroad-track in the vicinity of bridges have heretofore been used; but we are not aware that any bridge-guard has heretofore been made provided with a connecting-link between the rope and the supports. Neither are We aware that any bridge-guard has been provided with any means for preserving the ropes from being held out of normal position when thrown over the support.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim to have invented, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 8o 1. In a bridge-guard, the combination of a wire support, a series of links, and a series of ropes or cords, one end of each of said links loosely surrounding the supporting-Wire and the other end attached to one of the cords, substantially as and for the purpose described. 7

2. In a bridge-guard, the combination of the cord supported by the connectinglink, the connecting-link constructed of a bent wire or rod having a loop at each end, one for holding the rope and one for loosely encircling the supporting-wire, all substantially as described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our 5 hands andseals in the presence of two witnesses.

STEPHEN G. SCOTT. [L. s.] WILLIAM OHERN.- [I.. s.] Witnesses:

ARTHUR G. DENISON, HUGH E. WILSON. 

